Digital delay and modulation mix to create uncommon echo concoctions.
Our days of stompbox bounty have had an interesting—in some ways polarizing—effect on the state of delay. At the “analog” extreme, bucket brigade delays and powerful digital processors generate and painstakingly emulate the sounds of tape, drum, and other analog echoes. At the other end, digital processing makes delay and reverb more boundless, inorganic, and galactic-scale than ever.
Somewhere between those two points on the echo spectrum lives good old digital mid-fi. And with ’80s musical textures more en vogue now than at any time since Alf was a media titan, musicians and manufacturers are re-discovering the charms of echoes from digital’s infancy. Not surprisingly, EarthQuaker Devices—who have never found a weird or underutilized sound they could not turn to magic dust—have taken the voice of early digital delay and enhanced it with modulation features that make the dirtier side of digital seem downright intoxicating. But the coolest thing about the Space Spiral is the wealth of tones that exist outside of stylistic or period constraints. There are a lot of very unique sounds on tap.
Inside the Flux Capacitor
Though the Space Spiral is an original circuit, you can spy a few possible inspirations in the control layout and functionality—most notably Ibanez’s mid-’80s DML series, which used LFO-driven modulation to tweak digital repeats. But where the Ibanez was designed to deliver literal (if sometimes intense) chorus and flange-style modulation, the range and interactivity of the Space Spiral’s controls make it easy to generate sounds well outside the ’80s tone canon.
The controls themselves are simple to understand, even if their range and sensitivity take some getting used to. The delay controls are a standard time, rate, and mix array, although the latter is especially sensitive and does not include a 100 percent wet setting. The modulation section is simple and mostly self explanatory: Depth and rate control the intensity and speed of the modulations, while the shape control alters waveforms from triangle- to square-wave profiles as you move through its range.
A peek inside the enclosure reveals a few surprises. The low sample rate and processing power means the Space Spiral will actually run on a 9V battery (although we cannot vouch for battery life), and there is ample room for a battery thanks to a surprisingly compact circuit board. The pedal also runs on 9V AC power.
Dusky Digital Duplication
Dialing out Space Spiral’s modulation and focusing exclusively on repeats reminds you how pleasant and effective a simple digital delay can be. Though EQD has made much of the “darkness” in these repeats, I heard a really nicely contoured top end that, in many ways, suggests bucket brigade shadowiness with a little extra definition in the repeats. It’s sure to mark a nice compromise for players that shun digital’s antiseptic side, but like an echo that stays present in a mix. And the very slight grit in the repeats is almost always a pleasing (and nearly analog-like) additional texture.
The delay only ranges to 660 ms, though I almost never missed the additional delay length and there’s enough for evocative yodeling-in-the-Alps-style echoes, which can create a very disorienting wash at long repeat settings.
Mods on Target
Although digital delay artifacts or sterility aren’t an issue with the Space Spiral, small amounts of modulation lend an organic, nebulous shading to the repeats. I particularly loved this effect when delay times were short and repeats were long, which creates an irregular and very active airplane hanger-like ambience—even in small rooms and with small amps.
Fast modulation rates and deep depth settings mated to fast and long repeats sounded, at times, like an army of Lilliputians crying out in distress from behind my amp. Slower modulation times, meanwhile, have the uneasy queasiness of Echoplex tape at the precipice of its demise. Unexpected textures reward unorthodox control settings.
Ratings
Pros:
Surprisingly rich and colorful delay sounds. Unique modulated delay textures. Excellent range in controls.
Cons:
Some players may miss 100 percent wet delay option.
Tones:
Ease of Use:
Build/Design:
Value:
Street:
$195
EarthQuaker Devices Space Spiral
earthquakerdevices.com
For instance, aggressive depth, mix, and time settings blended with short repeats and languid modulation rates to yield almost B-bender like pitch shifts. Meanwhile, mellow-but-present depth settings, fast modulation rates, and longer time and repeat settings created multi-dimensional, wobbling tones somewhere between a Tel-Ray oil can delay and a Fender Vibratone whirring away in a cavernous cargo hold. Short-to-slapback delay times also are effective with more demented modulation settings—almost like playing warped Sun or Stax vinyl while jiggling a vari-speed turntable control.
Probing the many texture combinations available would be a lot less satisfying were it not for the sensitivity of Space Spiral’s controls. This is a thoughtfully and well-tuned control set that seems to exponentially enhance the unit’s potential. The range of the mix control is especially wide. And while some players may lament the inability to create all-wet delay signals, the pinpoint degree to which you can duck or foreground a given delay/modulation combination is impressive and very useful when exploring more alien tones.
It’s funny—much of EarthQuaker’s Space Spiral marketing copy seems designed to set up the expectation of ugly, primitive, lo-fi digital sounds. But while Space Spiral will never rip you off when it comes to unabashed weirdness, I found it capable of very lush, immersive, and airy delay tones that strike a nice balance between analog duskiness and digital presence, especially if used with just a trace of the available modulation. The controls are beautifully sensitive and interactive, creating a palette of textures you might associate with a more complex and processor-potent digital unit.
If there is a complaint to be levied against the Space Spiral, it’s that it’s difficult to dial in more conventional chorus- or phase-like modulation sounds. It might also be nice to see a version that permits expression pedal control of these impressive effects. Then again, I doubt I would trade any of the unique delay/modulation recipes I extracted from the Space Spiral for more pedestrian delay/chorus tones that I can get just about anywhere. Like so many EQD pedals, Space Spiral is about the tone paths less taken—and the discoveries that come with being led astray.
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DL4 MkII Delay Stompbox Modeler Special Edition 25th Anniversary Silver
Delivering legendary delays, the green DL4TM modeler has been ubiquitous on pedalboards worldwide since launching in 1999. Designed to continue inspiring creativity, the limited and collectable 25th Anniversary DL4 MkII, in a special edition silver, boasts all the same powerful features as the DL4 MkII, but also comes with a hand-numbered label, a keychain, and a DL4 MkII product sticker.
Not only is it more compact than the original DL4, it offers 15 legacy and 15 new delay effects drawn from the HX® family of amp and effects processors, plus bonus reverbs, all derived from the latest Line 6 sound design labs. Looping, SD card expansion and a host of I/O options aim to carry the DL4 legacy forward.
Jeff "Skunk" Baxter expands his acclaimed first-ever solo album, Speed of Heat, with a brand new Storytellers Edition, featuring brand-new commentary tracks.
For over five decades, audiences worldwide have marveled at Baxter’s inimitable and instantly recognizable guitar playing and generational songcraft. His output spans classic records as a founding member of Steely Dan and member of the Doobie Brothers in addition to hundreds of recordings with the likes of Donna Summer, Cher, Joni Mitchell, Rod Stewart, Dolly Parton, and many more. During 2022, he initially unveiled Speed of Heat, showcasing yet another side of his creative identity and introducing himself as a solo artist.
On the Storytellers Edition, his fascinating commentary pulls the curtain back on both the process and the message of the music. This version traces the journey to Speed of Heat and its core inspirations as shared directly by Baxter in the form of detailed anecdotes, candid stories, and insightful commentary on every track.
The 12-songalbum, co-produced by Baxter and CJ Vanston, is a riveting and rewarding musical experience that features a host of brilliantly crafted originals co-written by the guitarist and Vanston, as well as inspired versions of some of the great classics. Along the way, Baxter is joined by guest vocalists and songwriters Michael McDonald, Clint Black, Jonny Lang and Rick Livingstone. Baxter notably handled lead vocals on his rendition of Steely Dan’s “My Old School.” Other standouts include "Bad Move" co-written by Baxter, Clint Black, and CJ Vanston, and “My Place In The Sun”, sung by Michael McDonald and co-authored by McDonald, Baxter and Vanston.
As one of the most recorded guitarists of his generation, Baxter’s creative and versatile playing has been heard on some of the most iconic songs in music history, including “9 to 5” by Dolly Parton and “Hot Stuff” by Donna Summer.
The stunningly diverse collection of material on Speed of Heat presents a 360-degree view of the uniquely gifted musician.
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Beauty and sweet sonority elevate a simple-to-use, streamlined acoustic and vocal amplifier.
An EQ curve that trades accuracy for warmth. Easy-to-learn, simple-to-use controls. It’s pretty!
Still exhibits some classic acoustic-amplification problems, like brash, unforgiving midrange if you’re not careful.
$1,199
Taylor Circa 74
taylorguitars.com
Save for a few notable (usually expensive) exceptions, acoustic amplifiers are rarely beautiful in a way that matches the intrinsic loveliness of an acoustic flattop. I’ve certainly seen companies try—usually by using brown-colored vinyl to convey … earthiness? Don’t get me wrong, a lot of these amps sound great and even look okay. But the bar for aesthetics, in my admittedly snotty opinion, remains rather low. So, my hat’s off to Taylor for clearing that bar so decisively and with such style. The Circa 74 is, indeed, a pretty piece of work that’s forgiving to work with, ease to use, streamlined, and sharp.
Boxing Beyond Utility
Any discussion of trees or wood with Bob Taylor is a gas, and highly instructive. He loves the stuff and has dabbled before in amplifier designs that made wood an integral feature, rather than just trim. But the Circa 74 is more than just an aesthetic exercise. Because the Taylor gang started to think in a relatively unorthodox way about acoustic sound amplification—eschewing the notion that flat frequency response is the only path to attractive acoustic tone.
I completely get this. I kind of hate flat-response speakers. I hate nice monitors. We used to have a joke at a studio I frequented about a pair of monitors that often made us feel angry and agitated. Except that they really did. Flat sound can be flat-out exhausting and lame. What brings me happiness is listening to Lee “Scratch” Perry—loud—on a lazy Sunday on my secondhand ’70s Klipsch speakers. One kind of listening is like staring at a sun-dappled summer garden gone to riot with flowers. The other sometimes feels like a stale cheese sandwich delivered by robot.
The idea that live acoustic music—and all its best, earthy nuances—can be successfully communicated via a system that imparts its own color is naturally at odds with acoustic culture’s ethos of organic-ness, authenticity, and directness. But where does purity end and begin in an amplified acoustic signal? An undersaddle pickup isn’t made of wood. A PA with flat-response speakers didn’t grow in a forest. So why not build an amp with color—the kind of color that makes listening to music a pleasure and not a chore?
To some extent, that question became the design brief that drove the evolution of the Circa 74. Not coincidentally, the Circa 74 feels as effortless to use as a familiar old hi-fi. It has none of the little buttons for phase correction that make me anxious every time I see one. There’s two channels: one with an XLR/1/4" combo input, which serves as the vocal channel if you are a singer; another with a 1/4" input for your instrument. Each channel consists of just five controls—level, bass, middle, and treble EQ, and a reverb. An 11th chickenhead knob just beneath the jewel lamp governs the master output. That’s it, if you don’t include the Bluetooth pairing button and 1/8" jacks for auxiliary sound sources and headphones. Power, by the way, is rated at 150 watts. That pours forth through a 10" speaker.Pretty in Practice
I don’t want to get carried away with the experiential and aesthetic aspects of the Circa 74. It’s an amplifier with a job to do, after all. But I had fun setting it up—finding a visually harmonious place among a few old black-panel Fender amps and tweed cabinets, where it looked very much at home, and in many respects equally timeless.
Plugging in a vocal mic and getting a balance with my guitar happened in what felt like 60 seconds. Better still, the sound that came from the Circa 74, including an exceedingly croaky, flu-addled human voice, sounded natural and un-abrasive. The Circa 74 isn’t beyond needing an assist. Getting the most accurate picture of a J-45 with a dual-source pickup meant using both the treble and midrange in the lower third of their range. Anything brighter sounded brash. A darker, all-mahogany 00, however, preferred a scooped EQ profile with the treble well into the middle of its range. You still have to do the work of overcoming classic amplification problems like extra-present high mids and boxiness. But the fixes come fast, easily, and intuitively. The sound may not suggest listening to an audiophile copy of Abbey Road, as some discussions of the amp would lead you to expect. But there is a cohesiveness, particularly in the low midrange, that does give it the feel of something mixed, even produced, but still quite organic.
The Verdict
Taylor got one thing right: The aesthetic appeal of the Circa 74 has a way of compelling you to play and sing. Well, actually, they got a bunch of things right. The EQ is responsive and makes it easy to achieve a warm representation of your acoustic, no matter what its tone signature. It’s also genuinely attractive. It’s not perfectly accurate. Instead, it’s rich in low-mid resonance and responsive to treble-frequency tweaks—lending a glow not a million miles away from a soothing home stereo. I think that approach to acoustic amplification is as valid as the quest for transparency. I’m excited to see how that thinking evolves, and how Taylor responds to their discoveries.
The evolution of Electro-Harmonix’s very first effect yields a powerful boost and equalization machine at a rock-bottom price.
A handy and versatile preamp/booster that goes well beyond the average basic booster’s range. Powerful EQ section.
Can sound a little harsh at more extreme EQ ranges.
$129
Electro-Harmonix LPB-3
ehx.com
Descended from the first Electro-Harmonix pedal ever released, the LPB-1 Linear Power Booster, the new LPB-3 has come a long way from the simple, one-knob unit in a folded-metal enclosure that plugged straight into your amplifier. Now living in Electro-Harmonix’s compact Nano chassis, the LPB-3 Linear Power Booster and EQ boasts six control knobs, two switches, and more gain than ever before.
If 3 Were 6
With six times the controls found on the 1 and 2 versions (if you discount the original’s on/off slider switch,) the LPB-3’s control complement offers pre-gain, boost, mid freq, bass, treble, and mid knobs, with a center detent on the latter three so you can find the midpoint easily. A mini-toggle labeled “max” selects between 20 dB and 33 dB of maximum gain, and another labeled “Q” flips the resonance of the mid EQ between high and low. Obviously, this represents a significant expansion of the LPB’s capabilities.
More than just a booster with a passive tone, the LPB-3 boasts a genuine active EQ stage plus parametric midrange section, comprising the two knobs with shaded legends, mid freq and mid level. The gain stages have also been reimagined to include a pre-gain stage before the EQ, which enables up to 20 dB of input gain. The boost stage that follows the EQ is essentially a level control with gain to allow for up to 33 dB of gain through the LPB-3 when the “max” mini toggle is set to 33dB
A slider switch accessible inside the pedal selects between buffered or true bypass for the hard-latch footswitch. An AC adapter is included, which supplies 200mA of DC at 9.6 volts to the center-negative power input, and EHX specifies that nothing supplying less than 120mA or more than 12 volts should be used. There’s no space for an internal battery.
Power-Boosted
The LPB-3 reveals boatloads of range that betters many linear boosts on the market. There’s lots of tone-shaping power here. Uncolored boost is available when you want it, and the preamp gain knob colors and fattens your signal as you crank it up—even before you tap into the massive flexibility in the EQ stage.
“The preamp gain knob colors and fattens your signal as you crank it up—even before you tap into the massive flexibility in the EQ stage.”
I found the two mid controls work best when used judiciously, and my guitars and amps preferred subtle changes pretty close to the midpoint on each. However, there are still tremendous variations in your mid boost (or scoop, for that matter) within just 15 or 20 percent range in either direction from the center detent. Pushing the boost and pre-gain too far, particularly with the 33 dB setting engaged, can lead to some harsh sounds, but they are easy to avoid and might even be desirable for some users that like to work at more creative extremes.
The Verdict
The new LPB-3 has much, much more range than its predecessors, providing flexible preamp, boost, and overdrive sounds that can be reshaped in significant ways via the powerful EQ. It gives precise tone-tuning flexibility to sticklers that like to match a guitar and amp to a song in a very precise way, but also opens up more radical paths for experimentalists. That it does all this at a $129 price is beyond reasonable.